Automatic mine-car stop



Feb. 5, 1929.

5. JENNINGS AUTOMATIC MINE CAR STOP Filed June 19, 1926 avwzntoz ELJm'mfu'lgl 5 f a attozuu f Patented Feb. 5, 1929.

UNITED STATES SELDON JENNINGS, OF PROVIDENCE, KENTUCKY.

AUTOMATIC MINE-GAR STOP.

Application filed June 19,

The invention provides means for preventing the return of loaded mine cars after pass ing a given point in the length of track leading to that portion of the track from which the cars are unloaded.

The invention provides a stop which is located adjacent the upper end of the inclined portion of track over which the loaded mine cars pass, said stop being automatic in action to prevent the return of the loaded cars as they reach the crest of the track and pass from the inclined portion to the elevated unloading portion.

While the drawings illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention it is to be understood that in adapting the means to meet specific needs and requirements, the design may be varied and such other changes in the minor details of construction may be resorted to within the scope of the invention as claimed, without departing from the spirit thereof.

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof, reference is to be had to the following description and the drawings hereto attached, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view showing an automatic stop embodying the invention applied to a railroad over which loaded mine cars pass,

Figure 2 is a detail side view,

Figure 3 is a top plan view, and

Figure 4 is a detail perspective view of a portion of the railway over which the empty cars return, showing a stop.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and designated in the several views of the drawings by like reference characters.

The railway includes an inclined portion 1, and a portion 2, the part 1 is inclined. and the loaded cars travel upwardly thereover. The part 2 may be level or slightly inclined, and usually the cars are unloaded therefrom. The empty cars return to the mine by means of a branch 8, indicated in Figure 4-, to which a stop 4: is applied to hold the empty cars in check until the way to the part 1 of the railway is cleared of loaded cars. The numeral 5 designates the stop which is disposed at one side of the track so as to overlap one of the rails and prevent return of a loaded car after the same has passed the stop. A spring 6 exerts a lateral pressure against the stop 5 to normally hold it in the path of the car, that is with its active end overlapping a rail of 1926. Serial No. 117,121.

the track. As shown most clearly in Figure 3 of the drawings a strip 7 connects the proj ecting ends of adjacent cross ties and the stop 5 is pivoted intermediate its ends to the strip 7, at 5 A block 8 mounted upon the project ing end of the cross tie connected by means of the strip 7 functions as a stop to limit the movement of the stop in one direction. The spring 6 is attached at one end to a pin 9 applied to the end of the cross tie receiving the block 8. A keeper 10 engages the spring 6 intermediate its ends and holds said spring in operative position. A plate 11 is supported by the projecting ends of the ties to which the strip 7 is attached. A block 12 is mounted upon the plate 11 and the spring 6 passes through a slit 13 formed therein, and which slit is closed by the keeper 10. It is to be understood that the stop may be located at any determinate point within the mine or exterior thereto, so long as it operates automatically to prevent the return of the loaded cars after the same-have passed a predetermined point. In the preferable arrangement the stop is located at the upper end of the inclined portion 1 of the line of railway, so that after the loaded cars have passed upon the portion 2 of the track, they are prevented from returning upon the inclined portion 1.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

In combination with a railway track hav ing an inclined portion and including ties and rails supported thereon, certain of said ties being extended at one end beyond the track, a

strip extending between and supported upon the extended ends of the ties adjacent a rail, a stop bar pivoted intermediate its ends upon said strip and extending diagonally of the track with its inner end extending over the tread of the adjacent rail, an abutment supported upon an extended end of a tie to engage the outer end portion of said stop bar and limit movement of the stop bar across the rail, a plate extending between the extended ends of the ties, a block mounted upon said plate between the ties and formed with a transverse slit opening through its upper face, and a spring strip passed through the slit of said block and having one end secured to the tie supporting said abutment and its other end exerting lateral pressure against the inner end portion of the stop bar and yieldably holding the same extended across the rail.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

SELDON JENNINGS. [L. 8.] 

